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Here are the top five position battles going into the first preseason game tonight.

Rex wants the starting job

1. QUARTERBACK

This position battle is likely to be atop this list every week until Head Coach Mike Shanahan picks a regular season starter. [And there may be many questions even after that.] Rex Grossman is the starter on the team's depth chart, but that's not worth much right now. John Beck has received most of the work in training camp, but his groin injury has left him gimpy going into tonight. Beck won't play if he can't roll out effectively, since rollouts are such an important part of the Shanahan offense. Beck will want to play to regain his momentum, but a poor performance due to injury might harm his chances more than not playing at all. Neither player has done much in practice to seize the starting job so the real competition begins tonight.

2. RUNNING BACK

Ryan Torain is injured again so we won't see a proper Torain v. Hightower battle tonight. That will have to wait for a later date, when Torain is healthy. In the meantime, rookie Roy Helu has a chance to rocket up the depth chart with a big performance tonight. Helu is known as a home run threat and if he can deliver a few long runs tonight he'll go a long way to sewing up a spot on the roster and then some. Helu needs to demonstrate he can pick up the blitz. Tim Hightower has the confidence of the coaches, plenty of NFL experience [but not too much] and a proven ability to block for his quarterback. Hightower's been a plodder in the NFL, rarely making big plays. He can probably nail down the starting job if he can show some of the burst Helu is known for having. Evan Royster needs to do enough to ensure he makes the practice squad, at the very least.

Anthony Armstrong is a playmaker

3. WIDE RECEIVER